Free
I'm bored. So bored.
+++
She wanted more in her life, more from waking up early to talk with endless foreigners about investing into their company so she could be richer than she already was, spending holidays and forever thinking when it will all end. She never wanted to live like this, predictable, excitement nonexistent, people praising her and lifting her off the ground.
So she was spending her afternoon (waking up after twelve in the afternoon never felt so good) in a table placed outside a street café few blocks from her rented place. It was February, cold yet comfortable breeze speaking the perfect weather of Barcelona. She had visited the city like how she visited her doctor, frequently, but never got the chance to see that it can be less beautiful once spent a month living here. But Barcelona was perfect, still was, despite that anyone flying solo would probably kill herself in loneliness.
Reading the newspaper with a coffee (always two packs of sugar and creamer), she decided to roam around Picasso Museum for the heck of it or maybe take the train to Paris to complete her running-away-from-everything plan. No schedule to follow, secretary to ask everything, just herself in a completely refreshing city of Barcelona for twenty-three days and running.
She never asked what happened right after she decided to take the earliest flight to Barcelona with nothing but her one carry-on luggage and gold credit card. The ability to speak the language landed her into renting a five hundred dollars apartment in the heart of the city. It was incredible, finally free from her black and white life, living in a city full of color and vibrant.
By five o’clock, she was already seated in a train going to nowhere. She hadn’t decided yet, so maybe she would randomly hopped out to a brand new place. She knew where her apartment was and full knowledge of Spanish was enough.
“Going somewhere?” Her eyes reflexively closed and her head titling on the side as her mother tongue reverberated into her mind. It felt quite weird and a bit amazing finally hearing Korean after weeks of Spanish eating her brain out.
Sighing, she slowly looked up at the stranger with a welcoming smile. Black hair, sharp nose and full pink lips were inviting her to stare at him. She tried to look past his Ray-ban aviator to see his eyes but a thought of rudeness woke her up from gawking.
“I don’t know” She replied.
“Mind if I seat?” He gestured his hand to the empty seat in front of her.
She shrugged, shifting her eyes back to her tourist book. She had seen a lot of Koreans passing by when she was in a restaurant or cafes but no one ever approach her into conversations. And finally, she wondered how the guy knew that she was Korean, she had been wearing her aviator (which, coincidentally same as his) since she got inside the train.
“Actually, Madrid is a nice place”
“I know. Stayed for four days”
“Really. Have you seen Santa Ana?” Lame, the only word that came into her mind when she realized what he was trying to do, but she was being impulsive with her life right now, befriending a Korean would not probably do her any harm. He looked nothing but a decent guy.
“Numerous times. The hotel I stayed at was located near there” She tried staying in Madrid but couldn’t pick up its nightlife. Used to the quiet life of office and her apartment back in Seoul, the only nightlife she had was in a bar at Apgujeong, the loudest music was Usher songs.
She looked back at the stranger behind her aviator, with his look and milky white skin, she was wondering why they hadn’t got a chance to meet in Seoul. She knew a lot of guys who seemed to be walking the same circle as him.
The PA system spoke up announcing their arrival in Madrid, in Spanish and English. She listened to the sudden noise behind her, Americans excited to set off for Madrid’s cathedrals. She was looking over her shoulder to watch dozen of people alighting from the train when she felt a warm and soft hand snatching her forearm.
“You should really see Madrid” The stranger pressed while she quickly grabbed her bag right before he ran off with her. He pushed the piles of foreigners and locals off as they made their way out of the station.
But instead of fearing for her life, the crisp early night air of Madrid welcomed her, hiding her smile while they continued running. All she could hear was their tuned steps against the ground, she never felt more satisfied with what was currently occurring. Never in her life had she imagined she would be out of her safe circle, running with a stranger, no plans in mind.
And she was exhilarated, like she was supposed to do this, to be in the grasp of this stranger, whose black hair was dancing with the wind, a slight, mysterious smile formed in his face. Her system leaving all the worry and scared thoughts that her mind was supposed to feel.
Arriving at the said famous attraction, people were already filling up the street. Loud music already booming into her chest. They were walking through the thick crowd, his hand already falling down to clasp hers. She didn’t mind, she needed the security and his lead this time. Wherever he wanted to bring her.
“I’m Jung Yonghwa” His breath fanning in her ears, eliciting shiver down her spine, automatically leaning closer to lean her face closer to him.
Two hours sitting at a table outside of the restaurant, breathing more than usual due to excessive number of people. They had been talking like old friends, exchanging stories she doubt she would share to just anyone, learning that staying in Europe had been the greatest experience for…well, Jung Yonghwa.
“Seo Joohyun” She introduced, extending her hands for formality. A reflex because of her work.
“Let’s dance” He whispered, a bit too sensual for strangers. He didn’t wait for any reply, he hooked his arm around her waist and they were acting like it was the most common gesture between them. The music came from the main plaza where parties were being held every night, everyone who wanted to dance could just stand and find their places elsewhere. Everywhere was a dance floor.
Given the small space, she pressed her body against his, tipsy feeling from the beer they ordered stirring something hot inside her. Their noses were subtly brushing against each other with every move they made. She had never been bold like this, she grew up reserved and always enough to be the best.
By the end of the day, they were already groping each other at an alley, still in the midst of the alive street. Her lips moving on its own, nibbling his lower lip for entrance to his mouth which he obligingly opened, their tongues meeting and feeling each other, she felt his arms tightening around her waist, pulling her closer into his aching body. He was terrific, he was not her first kiss, but the most memorable one. She heard him let out a pleasurable whimper when she knitted his lower lip between her teeth. She smiled against their kiss, superiority playing inside her.
“You planned this didn’t you?” A week later in Rome where they were spending another lazy afternoon at the hotel room he insisted on paying. Apparently he was living on a trust fund. And she didn’t understand how they stumbled into his apartment in Rome that night, having the greatest sex of her life and going away to another city together, practically joined at the hip.
“Planned what?” He asked, getting more sleep at the king-sized bed in the middle of their large suite. With a bottle of champagne, they were up until the early hour of the morning discovering each other’s bodies and strength once again.
“Rome. I don’t know. This?” She joked, playing with the hem of the large shirt she grabbed from the floor.
She heard him laugh roughly, like his voice always sounded rough and hoarse whenever he woke up. She smiled despite herself, the boldness she had been the past days with him gave her nothing but magnificence and lightless feeling.
“Get your ass off the bed. We are supposed to be at the Vatican city, remember?” She tossed on her stomach, watching him trying to doze off again. She sighed, leaving light kisses on his arms up to his neck. “Come on” She whispered a bit huskily for his sake.
He moved his arm to put it around her, pushing her against soft mattress. He carried her off to level their faces together, softly brushing his nose against hers with his eyes still closed. He grunted for dramatic effect but gave up when she wrapped her arms around his neck for a long and hard kiss.
They roamed the whole city like it was the first time. Most of the time his arm draped over her shoulder, kissing her temple whenever he found her cute, twirling her around in the middle of the plaza with pigeons flying all over them.
And maybe this was all she was dreaming about. The easy life every single day she woke up knowing that she could flash a smile to show what her heart was feeling. No demands from anyone, no commitment to be the best, just the steady beating of each part of her body. She liked it, probably even more because she had someone she adored with her.